1. Field of the Invention
Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present invention relate to displaying multimedia contents, and in particular, to an apparatus and method for displaying stored multimedia contents to accommodate a user's preference using limited buttons of a remote control device or a cellular phone.
2. Description of the Related Art
Increasing Internet usage by users having various backgrounds and interests has had a huge impact on all digital industries, particularly with respect to Internet-based services and contents which may be customized based on a user's background and interests. Internet-based services and contents, which are provided through the Internet, are becoming the standards of digital industries in the 21st century. In addition, due to the fast growth of Internet networks and multimedia contents in cellular phones, PDAs, and notebook computers, utilization of multimedia is essential rather than optional.
The development from analog TV to digital TV is in progress, and users may receive various types of information, as well as public broadcast, through the TV.
FIG. 1 shows the development of digital information appliances. The 1980's is a computing network era, where information communication is performed through a network having personal computers (PCs), notebook computers, a main frame computer, and a workstation. This is limitedly used in institutes or offices.
From the early 1990's, development of the Internet moved forward, and the interest in a home station grew by steps. The Internet, which had been used by institutes and offices, began to be used personally and at home.
In the 2000's, the development of wireless networks has been very great, and transfer rates of wireless networks have markedly increased. As a result, as described above, transfer and storage of mass multimedia content has become very popular, and studies for digital broadcast are actively in progress. Further, some multimedia services have been put into commercial use. Meanwhile, many appliances have changed to information appliances under a ubiquitous concept. Digital information can now be communicated through digital televisions, cellular phones, video phones, smart phones, as well as computers and workstations. In addition, digital information communication has become possible between appliances, such as a refrigerator, an electronic oven, an air conditioner, and so on, under the concepts of the ubiquitous home network.
Here, the user uses a remote control device, a home-pad, or a wall-pad to search various kinds of digital information, but the information search is not easily performed due to the characteristics of these devices.
That is, when a storage unit of digital information to be searched is a file, the user can use arrow buttons provided in the remote control device or the like in order to search a small number of files (for example, 10 to 20). However, as the number of files increases (for example, 100 to 1000), it is difficult to search desired information only with the arrow buttons.
That is, the information search with the arrow buttons is not sufficient when there is a large amount of digital information. Accordingly, there is a need for a unit that assigns a specified address, where the digital information is stored, so as to allow the information to be easily searched.
FIG. 2 is a conceptual view showing that searched information is displayed using a known display device. A display device 22 displays information selected by the user. At this time, the user uses arrow buttons provided in a remote control device 23 or the like in order to search stored information 21. In general, the information 21 is stored in a one-dimensional structure according to predetermined conditions. That is, the information 21 is stored in a sequence according to the conditions, such as file names, file sizes, file types, the generation date, or the correction date. Specifically, the information 21 is stored in a one dimensional condition according the specified conditions. Accordingly, in searching the stored information 21, the user can search information immediately before or after currently searched information with one click of the arrow button. In order to search information distant from the currently searched information using such a successive search method, a large number of clicks of the arrow button is required.
Korean Unexamined Patent Application No. 2005-070350 discloses a method and an apparatus for searching images of an electronic album that decodes an image for an electronic album input to a digital TV so as to display the image in a form of a thumbnail in an upper portion, and displays main data of the thumbnail image in a lowermost portion. In this case, a scroll bar that selects the images is provided.
However, this technique simply displays main data and the thumbnail for the main data, and does not specify an alignment condition thereof. Accordingly, the user may find it difficult to search enormous multimedia contents. Therefore, there is a need for a method that can display multimedia contents according to an alignment condition corresponding to a user's taste and can search stored multimedia contents using a limited input unit.